Cusarare Extended Pine Forest Trail

The extended pine forest loop begins behind the Mision San Ignacio de Cusarare, reached by combi from Creel to the village of Cusarare. Unlike the short walk to Cusarare Falls, this 8-kilometre loop climbs about 300 metres cumulatively through mixed pine and oak forest on the plateau above the Rio Cusarare valley, following a mix of packed dirt trail and old logging tracks used by local Tarahumara communities. The route is not signed at every junction, so hikers benefit from a trail map or GPS track, particularly where the loop crosses several informal side paths used for grazing livestock. Landmarks include the mission church at the start, a high clearing about a third of the way around with views back toward the Cusarare valley, and a junction roughly two-thirds through where a shorter connector cuts the loop to about 5 kilometres for those short on time or daylight. There are no formal shelters along the route, though small Tarahumara rancherias are occasionally visible from the trail; hikers should be respectful of private land and livestock. No potable water source exists on the loop, so all water must be carried from Cusarare or Creel. Because the trail sits above 2,300 metres, mornings are cold for much of the year, and the dry season from October to May offers the firmest footing; summer rains can make sections of the logging track muddy.